b.siobhan

azul negro

October 6, 2014

In creating a space in which troublesome ideologies are challenged, there is an intense need to be in dialogue with other bodies in relation to myself. This is further complicated due to my marginalized body in a space which is filled with primarily "non" marginalized bodies. Speaking in the way of a racialized and sexualized body there are spaces in which those not facing those two specific identifiers do not have access. These access points are blown open and are used to create a space in which discourse can happen around actions, materials, and physicality. This discourse, however problematic it may be, is an important discussion into working through issues of social justice and equalities through artistic practice.

As a marginalized body there are often conditions to which work is seen in a very specific and albeit complicated light, which is only more complicated through the use of performance and performativity. The goal of using a marginalized body to create new access points for those outside of itself becomes an issue of agency of the audience. The audience of the larger art world leave little room for performance works to have full fledged dialogue without being demonized as trite, over reactionary, etc.

Working as a performance artist there have been instances where the usage of my body in a artistic way has created divisions within the larger institution of art and seeks to challenge the hierarchy of artistic mediums. Painting has died, several times... only to be reborn, its rules deeply considered and debated, broken and repaired. Performance continues to live on, although its time within the art world has been short and infinitely complicated. Performance as a medium has the ability to create discourse in real time, while its happening, its presence being evident as soon as the piece begins and forever after the piece ends. The challenge with performative works is once again, access points, and most commonly performative works that challenge the status quo, working with issues of: gender, race, sexuality, and larger global issues that can arguably not be fully fleshed out in any other medium.

My intention in creating radical art continues to be a struggle in every way possible. Radical art is not simply that because of its intention to create access points and break down rules but also because of the bodies being used to talk about such things. There is no lack of topics that one can talk about and the specificity of these issues comes more often with bodies such as mine, marginalized within larger institutions of power.

I want to specifically talk about the ways in which brown and black bodies are seen in the realm of performance, and even more specifically the ways brown and black bodies of women artists are seen within performance, and art, and in society at large. The issues facing these artists are complicated and constant. Working through these issues through performance allows a sort of purge in real time, a type of explosion that happens slowly while witnessing the event. Ultimately, my work attempts to mimic this slow moving explosion through the use of specific texts, materials and actions.istic practice.

As a marginalized body there are often conditions to which work is seen in a very specific and albeit complicated light, which is only more complicated through the use of performance and performativity. The goal of using a marginalized body to create new access points for those outside of itself becomes an issue of agency of the audience. The audience of the larger art world leave little room for performance works to have full fledged dialogue without being demonized as trite, over reactionary, etc.

Working as a performance artist there have been instances where the usage of my body in a artistic way has created divisions within the larger institution of art and seeks to challenge the hierarchy of artistic mediums. Painting has died, several times... only to be reborn, its rules deeply considered and debated, broken and repaired. Performance continues to live on, although its time within the art world has been short and infinitely complicated. Performance as a medium has the ability to create discourse in real time, while its happening, its presence being evident as soon as the piece begins and forever after the piece ends. The challenge with performative works is once again, access points, and most commonly performative works that challenge the status quo, working with issues of: gender, race, sexuality, and larger global issues that can arguably not be fully fleshed out in any other medium.

My intention in creating radical art continues to be a struggle in every way possible. Radical art is not simply that because of its intention to create access points and break down rules but also because of the bodies being used to talk about such things. There is no lack of topics that one can talk about and the specificity of these issues comes more often with bodies such as mine, marginalized within larger institutions of power.

I want to specifically talk about the ways in which brown and black bodies are seen in the realm of performance, and even more specifically the ways brown and black bodies of women artists are seen within performance, and art, and in society at large. The issues facing these artists are complicated and constant. Working through these issues through performance allows a sort of purge in real time, a type of explosion that happens slowly while witnessing the event. Ultimately, my work attempts to mimic this slow moving explosion through the use of specific texts, materials and actions.